Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3033
A full review by gnomethang
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This puzzle was published on 8th December 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! A pretty standard Sunday but I noticed an awful lot of insertions whilst reviewing.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
7a View old shackle (7)
OPINION – O(ld) and a PINION or shackle.
8a Cunning gags aren’t very good (7)
SAINTLY – SLY for cunning encloses/gags AINT for aren’t. A cunning clue!.
10a Juvenile, unconscious criminal act (10)
KIDNAPPING – A charade of KID (juvenile) and NAPPING for unconscious.
11a Excerpt from audiotape, little bit (4)
IOTA – A hidden word (excerpt from) aud IOTA pe.
12a Quick to hide damage, drug dealer (8)
PHARMACY – PACY or quick is hiding HARM for damage.
14a Cooked in hot liquid, layer containing grease (6)
BOILED – A BED/layer/that which one lays upon with OIL/grease contained therein.
15a Spilt leaving tram, sour condiment (4,7)
MALT VINEGAR – a split anagram of LEAVING TRAM.
19a Top figure for gangster (6)
CAPONE – A charade of CAP/top and the numerical figure ONE.
20a Wind bringing flower into small city (8)
EASTERLY – An ASTER (a perennial flower) inside the perennial crossword city (and see!) of ELY.
22a Irritating little thing knocking over a fairy (4)
FLEA – Reverse or knock over A ELF/fairy.
23a Lively Greek character caught by superior (3-7)
TOE-TAPPING – The Greek letter/character of ETA is aught inside TOPPING for superior.
25a Rock more noticeable, by the sound of it? (7)
BOULDER – A homophone. By the sound of it, of BOLDER/fore noticeable in a font, see?.
26a Dog ending in shower, one with blackened face? (7)
COLLIER – A COLLIE dog and the ending letter in (showe)R.
Down
1d Decent over, yes? (7)
UPRIGHT – UP for over/finished and RIGHT for yes? As a question.
2d Soon member of the clergy will blow top (4)
ANON – A CANON or member of the clergy with the top letter blown off.
3d A large friendly bear standing up, fair game? (4-2)
HOOPLA – A reversal (standing up in a Down clue) of A L(arge) and POOH-bear.
4d Solid bangle: it has broken (8)
TANGIBLE – An anagram (has brokes) of BANGLE IT.
5d Hint about something like passport scare (10)
INTIMIDATE – Place INTIMATE or hint around ID(entification), of which a passport is an example (something like).
6d Bet a butterfly can do it (7)
FLUTTER – Two definitions, a wager and a butterfly that FLUTTERs by.
9d Weak girl as it happens on burgundy! (4-7)
LILY-LIVERED – A charade of LILY (a girls name) and LIVE (as it happens) on a RED wine (Burgundy).
13d Just a ban, or else reforms (10)
REASONABLE – An anagram (reforms) of A BAN OR ELSE.
16d Scores progressed during games (8)
TWENTIES – WENT for progressed inside (during) cup TIES or games.
17d Amount of liquid around lid of empty vessel (7)
GALLEON – Place a GALLON or liquid measure around the opening letter (lid) of E(mpty).
18d Small bank, remote (7)
SLENDER – S for Small and a LENDER or bank.
21d Opposition had to interrupt broadcast (6)
SHADOW – HAD from the clue interrupts or is inside SHOW or broadcast.
24d Person initially sick — what might one take? (4)
PILL – The initial letter of P(erson) and then ILL for sick.